Rod of Rod Control

A rod… that can control other rods? Sounds great… if it works. And if you can find it.

Full Item Description

This rod is about a foot long and about 2 inches in diameter. It’s made from a unique mixture of gold, silver and another as yet unidentified metal. There are no gems or elaborate decorations. It has a grip on one end where it appears as if the rod was twisted round many times. The other end flares out slightly, much like a trumpet.

History

The creation of the Rod of Rod Control came about when an eccentric, but brilliant, wizard named Tritio Utho needed a tool to test the other rods of power he had created. Rather than risk his own life and limbs he decided that if he could create a trigger device to activate the rods it would be much simpler than having to hire a servant and end up explaining to their family just what had gone wrong. It took many months of research and experimentation to finally come up with a formula for him to try. Tritio, of course, kept meticulous notes in one of his many, many journals.

The metal was finally cool to the touch when pounding and shouting at his front door demanded his attention. Believing it to be one of the local villagers, Tritio angrily threw open the door and was instantly beheaded by a large man with a large sword. The large man was part of a mercenary squad who having been given false directions believed they were at the hideout of a notorious wizard who had done some awful things to the people of the lands to the south. They took the head for the bounty and everything the perceived to be valuable, including the Rod of Rod Control, and then torched the building.

The rod would have disappeared from memory if not for a young aspiring wizard, Jus DeArzo, waylaid in the village close to Tritio’s burned out ruin, came across one of the few surviving journals in the local sundry store. It seems the smoke from the blaze drew the attention of the locals and they went to investigate. They buried the charred bones of Tritio in an unmarked paupers grave then helped themselves to anything that wasn’t destroyed. Among them was the owner of the sundry store.

Jus only realized what he had in his possession after almost a week of using the scorched pages as toilet paper. The journal he possessed was the same one Tritio kept his notes on the rod in. It’s in extremely poor condition and many parts are completely illegible. The formula used in the creation is spread out over many pages and is almost 80% missing. The general description of the rod’s shape, color and size has survived as well as one of the most vital components, the trigger word to activate the rod.

At first, Jus freely shared his knowledge which peaked the interest of many others. A search for the Rod of Rod Control is on for those hoping to unlock the secret of it’s creation. Since then, Jus has remained tight lipped and guards the journal fiercely.

Alas, the Rod of Rod Control’s current location is unknown. It’s out there somewhere, just waiting to be found.

What happened to the Rod

It was fenced by a black market dealer who helped the mercs finance their operation. It has traded hands several times since then. It’s simple appearance has kept it from drawing much attention other than as a trinket.

I leave it’s current whereabouts up to the GMs. It should be in the home of someone rich enough to afford such a thing, such as a wealthy merchant or a prosperous mayor.

Magic/Cursed Properties

This rod may or may not have the ability to control other rods. Tritio never actually got a chance to test it out but none of that is apparent from his journal. I leave this entirely up to you.

If it does work, it effectively allows the welder to activate the magical properties of any rod that they can see, regardless of whether they know what it can do or not. If the rod being controlled must be physically touched to receive it’s benefits then only the welder will receive said benefits. The Rod of Rod Control does not mimic abilities, only activate them. For example, if a rod has the ability to shoot a fireball, when activated it will do so in whatever direction it happens to be facing. Caution is advised.

Activation of the rod requires knowledge of the trigger word which requires Tritio’s journal. The trigger word is “clear”.

If it doesn’t work… well… maybe it does something very nasty instead.

Additional Ideas (0)

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Likes: Interesting concept. Not too powerful in that it takes control of a rod or absorbs its abilities, but it just activates them, creating a haywire situation. Nicely written intro...

Dislikes: ...but not enough for me. Some wizard made it and got attacked. Who is this guy? Who attacked him? What were they trying to find? That part almost seems like a cop-out for writing a real backstory. And why would he make such a rod? Some more stuff on that could make this a great post.

I'll hold off on voting until you can make it shine, which I'm sure you can do.

Has definate promise.... inovative concept but as the others have said. Very lacking in the meat and potatoes portion of the description of who, what, where, and why. Don't really need a when but it would help. Flesh it out, add some page breaks and I will re-read and re-vote.

Like others, I have a hard time going along with the "unknown" alchemist/mage. A couple of the items that I've submitted suffered from a similar reaction: Even if the players never figure it out, the GM really wants to know what the true origins of the item are.

This unknown prodigy among alchemists: Why did he make such a rod? Was it intended for another purpose, but never completed due to his unfortunate demise? Perhaps it was intended to steal away the powers of other magic items, but all the item's creator finished was the "beta model", intended only to test the first portions of the needed enchantments. We have great (and amusing) detail about what happened after the man's demise, but the beginning of the rod's story is a complete blank.

The journal sounds like it would almost be more interesting than the rod itself. Perhaps its scorched remains hold other secrets, other tantalizing hints of the mysterious researcher's achievements? Such an item could send wizards haring off on many an expedition, convinced that they have a lead on some unknown magical powers. The journal is also the most credible way that the PCs could learn of the rod's theoretical powers.

If you haven't seen any of my other posts, I am a man of brief descriptions. I personally prefer as few details as possible. Enough to get the point across. I find it easier to work ideas in when there's more breathing room. But, if it's details you want, details I can give.

I like Valadaar's suggestion so I will rework this item with a "known" history and a "real" history.

In one region of a forest, all of the trees are identical, down to the leaves and the twigs. If the PCs carve something into one of the trees, it could mystically propigate until it covered all of the trees, or could vanish since it was not carved into the one true tree.